[Advaita-l] Free will, time and the Kali Yuga

[jaldhar at braincells.com]

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On Tue, 31 Oct 2023, Vishesh Bhat via Advaita-l wrote:

> Namaskara,
>
> I was going through the Mahabharata and came across the passage where Sage
> Markandeya describes the nature of Kaliyuga to Yudhisthira. The passage
> seems to indicate an absence of free-will. If Kali Yuga is indeed destined
> to be as described (which also fills me with great dread), then doesnt this
> indicate a complete absence of free will? What is the interpretation of
> this?
>

Interestingly just recently the neuroscientist and philosopher Dr. Robert 
Sapolsky came out with a new book in which he contends the existence of 
deterministic physical laws means that free will cannot exist.

Karma leads to the same conclusion.  If your present actions are dependent 
on the dispositions caused by previous actions in past lives then "free" 
will is not possible.

But what were the causes of those previous actions?  Actions even more 
prior to that. And what caused them...?  There is an infinite regression. 
So you cannot actually say which previous action is _the_ cause of any 
present action.  In practice you are free to act even if in theory you are 
not.


> Another question is about Kalki's appearance and in general about avAtaras.
> If Brahman alone is real, then the notions of good and evil limited to
> vyavahArika reality should not be of any concern.

Unless you are in that vyavaharika reality which most of are!  But even 
for the sannyasi who has overcome such notions, he sees all as his own 
self and wants what is best for all as for his own self.


> What is the need for this
> intervention in the form of avatAras to uphold Dharma which Krishna
> too talks about in the Gita?
>

As Kaushik wrote it is for dushta sikshana and shista rakshana.  But this 
is not done on a whim.  Bhagavan impartially allots the phala on the basis 
of the karma.  We see that Bhagavan Varaha appeared after the entreaties 
of Bhudevi who was sinking under the weight of adharma.  Bhagavan Nrsimha 
appeared for Prahlada.  Without the prayers of the meritorious there 
wouldn't be avataras.  In the Bhagavata Purana it is told that by the end 
of the Kali yuga there will be very few dharmic people but the power of 
their punya will be so great Bhagavan Kalki will appear and inaugrate a 
new yuga chakra.


> Lastly, does this mean that the Vedas too will cease to be known in the
> Kali Yuga?

The popular maxim says that in the Satya yuga the cow of Dharma stands on 
four legs but by the Kali yuga it is teetering on one.  One leg is 
definitely an inferior and unwanted situation but it is still not the same 
as zero legs.  Our dharma is called sanatana for a reason.

On Wed, 1 Nov 2023, Vishesh Bhat via Advaita-l wrote:

> Even at the vyaharika level, if a good person is undergoing suffering, 
> isnt it just his Prarabdha karma?

Yes.  But see what I wrote above above infinite regress.  You simply 
cannot say with certainty that outcome Y was due to cause X.


> why does Brahman intervene as an avatara to establish a
> certai type of order, i.e. an order defined by Dharma?I think a probable
> confusion here is how does Advaita interpret Dharma itself? Is it a more
> favourable setup?

Advaita Vedanta like all other astika darshans takes it for granted that 
Vedic dharma is the natural law.  The actual task of justifying that was 
taken up more by the Mimamsakas and Nyayaikas.

On Wed, 1 Nov 2023, Vishesh Bhat via Advaita-l wrote:

> Just to clarify what I mean. If Kali Yuga has a predestined progression of
> events and degradation of Dharma, then it seems to imply that whatever be
> the actions of the Jivas, they are destined to suffer.

That the Kali Yuga is followed by another Satyayuga implies that they are 
destined to stop suffering no?  There is infinite regress (progress?) to 
the future too.

Time keeps on going like this round and round in circles.  Thus Advaita 
Vedanta teaches you will never get satisfaction from time so concentrate 
on Brahman who is beyond time.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>